Re: your mail
Bob Beer (bbeer@u.washington.edu)
Wed, 6 Oct 1993 09:37:25 -0700 (PDT)
> I have noticed CPing is heavily represented by males. Anybody have any
> comments on other horticultural specialty lines like orchids, cacti,
> succulents, roses? Why the male bias in CPs?
>
This is true of our local group. There actually are some female members,
but they never show up to meetings. Cacti seem to attract equal numbers
of each gender, but many of the men I know seem to say things like "cacti
growing is a manly hobby" (gag!). They are usually quick to contrast
themselves with the Orchid and Begonia Societies which seem to attract a
larger number of gay men. I am not implying anything personally for
anyone on either side of the orientation fence, so hold the flames. :)
But at the last sale by the Volunteer Park Conservatory, which is in a
predominantly gay part of town, the orchid table was empty within about 3
minutes. :) African Violets were similar, but with a larger contingent
of elderly women. Sweeping generalizations, mind you.
Dahlias seem to attract lots of older retired folks and just sort of
every sort of "regular guys." (Seattle is big dahlia country).
I used to notice a similar phenomenon when working at an aquarium/pet
store several years back. You could almost spot a reptile person as soon
as they walked in the door (they are the animal counterpart to CP'ers, I
believe). And bird people seemed to include equal numbers of really
hyperintelligent people and really eccentric people. In the aquarists,
pirhana lovers also constituted their own personality type. :)
And the "nice community tank with everybody colorful and getting along"
seemed to be the aquatic equivalent of African Violet people. :)